Abstract

Prosthetics are one of the greatest medical wonders the world has ever confronted. From aiding in providing mobility to keeping intact human dignity, it has been working for the promotion of human welfare since a very long time. The process for production of prosthetics is multifarious, most of them being financially expensive. With greater precision comes greater perfection in the product so manufactured. Prosthetics undoubtedly belongs to a class of "precision engineering". The traditional mode of prosthetic production is generally subject to customization as a result of which mass production cannot be made possible. It becomes an expensive process and not every person can afford the tradition mode of prosthetics. Fortunately, there is an alternate process of prosthetics production. It is the 3D printing Technology where mass production can occur on a higher level. But it involves various technicalities. It involves the application of more than one genre of Intellectual Property and includes the application of patent, copyright and even trademark. The importance of the 3D printing technique of prosthetics production lies in the fact that it has indeed become a life-saver in helping specially-abled individuals in accessing the health system especially in a scenario wherein the costs of the production are immensely high. In this paper, the researcher has discussed the access to use of 3D printing technology of prosthetics production from the perspective of public health. The researcher has also focussed on this aspect to understand whether the balanced mechanism between promotion of the patent-holder’s right in relation to the 3D printing of prosthetics and access to the patented product is well maintained under the Indian system of jurisprudence.

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